Ceiling construction



March 30 192.6.`

' H. E. MARKS v CE:[JLIG CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR www wrm 555.53

citizen of the' United States, and a-resident l following is a specification;

Patented Man 30,v 1926.

IIJlSu'rsoI STA-TES PATENT oFr-ica -Hnannnr n. junks,- oF GLnN osBonNE,=-sEwIcnLEY, rE'NsyLvANm. j

,Gamme coNs'rnUc'rIoN.

applicati@ lednaxch 1,1924. seal No. 696,210.

To all lwhom may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT E. MARKS, a

ofGlen Osborne, Sewickley', in the county o f 4Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented va new and4 useful Improve= ment-in Ceiling Construction, of which the This. invention relates to a fireproof rialfor use in connection therewith.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a simple, sturdy, economical and durable pre-cast'slab which is effectively-relv inforced throughout, which is convenient to handle, which canvv be readilyfsuspended directly from the reinforcement within` the slab withutthrowingthe various strains upon localized areas, which due to the s ef cial associatlon of the reinforcement with the body of the slab. will effect asubstantially uniform distribution of the strains throughoutr the entire slab, and which can be effectively and easily suspended from the main beams by the aid of different y-forms of vauxiliary devices vithout deformation of the reinforcement.

It is a special object to provide a pre-cast reinforced cementitious`v slab having j the above characteristics in which the reinforcement is in the form of a metallic wire mesh Y comprising -longitudinal land transverse wires or strands welded together at their intersections, in .which saidmesh -liesgin the tension zone of the slab throughout the greater portion of its body `and projects above the top of. the slab at points spaced from the opposite-ends thereof with a transjverse wire r strand of the mesh disposed slightly above its upper face. l

' These and other objects of the inventionwill more fully appearv when taken 1n conjunction with the following description and the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, .illustrating the preferred embodiment of the inven.-

tion, Fig. 1 is a'perspect-ive View of the slab showing the dispositlon of thereinforcement inthe tension zone of the body and the po sitioning of the extremities of thereinforf ment vwith respect to the upper face ofthe views slab; Fig. 2 a perspective view ofthe metalceiling construction, and'partic'ularly to' a me'-l tallic're'inforced slab of cementitiousv mate-l pre-cast slabs from the main beams; and

drawings by. the reference numeral 1 and the metallic wire mesh reinforcement by the nuineral .2. The body of the'slab may be 'formed of any suitable cementitious material, and is preferably Inadeiof a material which is fire-resisting, the reinforcementbelng imbedded in the material of the body, with the portion of the reinforcement between thepoints 3 and 4 lying in the 'tension zone lof the slab, whilethe extremities of the reinforcement beyond these points are ben-t upwardly substantially at right angles and proj ectthrougli the bodyof the slab at points spaced from the ends of the slab, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.-

The reinforcement is made up of a plural-' ity of longitudinal wires or strands 5A and a plurality .of spaced transverse strandsv o-r wires@ 6, .the longitudinal and transverse wires-being welded together .at their-points of intersection.- The-reinforcement is embedded within the body of the slab, in the manner previously described, andthe parts are so proportioned that the terminal transverse wires or strands, indicated by the reference numeral (5a-are disposed slightlyvabove thev upper face of theY slab, these terminal transverse wires serving as a convenient and effective method of suspending the Vpre-'cast .slabs in place in a manner now Ito be descrlbed.' j lThe main beams have been. indicated 1n Figs'. 3 and. 4 of the drawingby the refer-` 'ence numeral 7, the form shown inthe draw.-

ings being 'ordinary I-beams of well known may be suspended in operative position to Fig. 4 a similar view showing another method l construction. Preferably, the length of the -pre-cast slabscorresponds to the distance form'the ceiling by means ofstraps Shaving i their mid-portions resting upon the top of 4the I-beams and -their extremities provided 4 with hooked portions 9 which operatively slabsin contact with the lower ianged bases ends of adjacent slabs are permitted to abut'.

engage the transverse wires 6 of the reinforcement, thus effectively suspending the offthe beams i7. In Fig. 3, the contiguousn 1n many constructions-,if slabs having fili# ishedlower faces are employed, a satisfactory appearance issecured without any additional steps.

However, if a neater finish is desired than -tliat secured with the ceiling construction illustrated in Fig. 3, the contiguous ends o f adjacent slabs may be spaced a slight distance apart as illustrated in Fig. 4, this space being filled with any suitable grouting'lO and the entire lower surface of the ceiling coated with a finishing layer 11. Fig. 4 also illustrates an alternative method of supporting the slabs 1. In this case, bars 12 are providedwhich are adapted to have theirextremities 12 rest upon the flanged base of the beam-7. By threading the bars 12 through the space between -the terminal transverse Wires 6a and the upper 4face of the slab, with the extremities of the bars resting upon .the bases of the main beams, the slabis effectively and securely suspended in' piace.

Due to the fact that the upturned terminal portions ofv the reinforcement project substantially at right angles to the body of the slab,'the strains exerted upon the reinforcement do not tend to break away the cementitious material of the body,whieh would 'necessarily .result if the reinforcement were to project obliquely through the slab, also due to the fact .that the transverse wires 6a are rigidly connected to all of the lon i-l tudinal wires of the reinforcement, t e

strains are" not;` concentrated at localized areas, but operating in conjunction with the entire metal mesh are distributedv substantially uniformly' throughout the entire slab. Althoughbut two methods of suspending the slabs, namely by means of the hooked `straps 8 and the bars 12, have been described, it -is obvious that other auxiliary means may beemployed for suspending 'the eiicient results, and without danger of havslabs in operative position. It is particularly noted. that with both vof the, methods illustrated, there is no alteration, 'or de formation ofthe 'slab from its pre-cast form.`

This feature is considered of great-practical importance, since it not only facilitates the handling of the slabs but permits the saine to be pre-cast in a manner to secure the most fing the beneficial results incident to its original formation destroyed or lessened' during subsequent handling.

invention pro.- vides a simple, economical land efficient re; inforced. pre-cast slab which is convenient to"liandle, which may be directly suspended .It is thus seen that the inoperative 'position by the reinforcement of the slab without danger' of throwing undue strains upon localized areas, 'which distributes the variousstresses through thejentire slab.,`and 'which may be vreadily and effecrely Suspended fsm *he mi Para in' Various .waysI without the necessityof de-l forming or altering the slab from the form in which it was originally made.

ll claim:

1. A ceiling slab comprising a body of throughout its nfajor portion, the oppositev extremities of said reinforcement projecting through the body at points spaced fromI fthe ends of the'slab, the extremities o'f the reinforcement above the body having transverse wires thereof spaced above the upper face of the slab. c

3. A 'ceiling slab'comprising a body of cementitious material, a metallic mesh reinforcement having longitudinal and tramsverse wires welded together at their intersections imbedded in said body throughout ,the greater portion of ,its length, the extremities of the reinforcement projecting through the Abody at points spaced from the ends .of the body, said extremities projecting upwardly at substantially right angles j tothe body with one of the transverse wires iat each extremity spaced above the upper face of the slab,

4. In a ceiling, thel combination with floor beams',o'f ceiling slabshaving their e/nds l.

beneath thev iioor vbeams and comprising a body of cementitious material provided with reinforcing strands extending longitudinal- 1 y of it, tlievextremitiea of said strands projecting upwardly through said. bodyI at points spaced from the ends of the body, a

Vtransversely extending member connected .to said projecting extremities of the strands at each end of each slab, and means engaging said transverse members for attaching.

the slabsto the floor-beams.

5. A' ceiling slab"comprising a body of cemen'titiousfmaterial, a metallic: mesh reinforcement'having longitudinal and transverse wires welded together at their interi sections imbedded insaidv bodyT throughout the greateriportioii of' its lengthand lying inthe tension zone ofthe slab, the extremiv ties vo f th reinforcement 4'projecting up-Y wardly at substantially right angles vto the body -with one ofl the transverse wires at of the slab.` In testimony whereof,` sign my name.,

' narratif: Mams.

veach extremity spaced above the upperface 1?# 

